What Walkback?

By BJ Bjornson



So on Friday, Obama did the right thing by noting that American Muslims have the same religious rights as everybody else to build community centres, even ones that include prayer facilities, on private property. Something that is only controversial in a country where one of the two major parties keeps its troops in line by focusing them on the hatred of the �other� while lining their and their cronies pockets.



His words on the matter were fairly clear:

"Let me be clear. As a citizen, and as President, I believe that Muslims have the right to practice their religion as everyone else in this country. And that includes the right to build a place of worship and a community center on private property in Lower Manhattan, in accordance with local laws and ordinances. This is America. And our commitment to religious freedom must be unshakeable. The principle that people of all faiths are welcome in this country and that they will not be treated differently by their government is essential to who we are. The writ of the Founders must endure."

Nothing there about endorsing the project itself, which is only right. The president and the government have no business whatsoever endorsing the building of any religious structure, as that would be a violation of the seperation of church and state.



Of course, the Republican Party was quick to claim that Obama�s support of the First Amendment amounted to an endorsement of the project. I can only assume that a fair number of folks on the left believed the same thing, since once Obama and the White House began pushing back against the right�s misinterpretation of his remarks, they were more than happy to help the pile on about his �quibbling�, and �dithering� and firmly locking in the whole �walkback� meme.



What was it that Obama said that caused such a reaction?

White House officials said earlier in the day that Mr. Obama was not trying to promote the project, but rather sought more broadly to make a statement about freedom of religion and American values. �In this country we treat everybody equally and in accordance with the law, regardless of race, regardless of religion,� Mr. Obama said at the Coast Guard station. �I was not commenting and I will not comment on the wisdom of making the decision to put a mosque there. I was commenting very specifically on the right people have that dates back to our founding. That�s what our country is about.�

Substantively exactly what he said in the first place. Promoting the project, or indeed any project with explicitly religious goals, is not the business of government, and I�m regularly pissed when governments cross that line to appease a certain faith, or any faith for that matter.



Obama took the right stand on this and continues to do so. The whole �walkback� meme is entirely a construct of spin. It is nonsense like this that gives me some sympathy for Gibbs and his recent remarks.